A federal plan from the Seattle City Council may carry out a plan to remove tear gas, blast balls and other equipment against the city police protest.
Federal District Judge James Robart’s decision defeated an attempt by Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan and Police Chief Carmen Best to stop the plan, scheduled to take effect on Sunday, the Seattle Times reported.
The ruling follows a determination by the United States Department of Justice that Seattle police had routinely used excessive force and showed evidence of partial surveillance, assessments that prompted a review by the police department, the newspaper reported.
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But Durkan and Best argued that the council’s new law, which strips police of the “crowd control” team, could conflict with the terms of a settlement agreement reached by the city and the Justice Department regarding the police review, according to the report.
Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan, right, speaks to journalists at Seattle City Hall, with Police Chief Carmen Best on the left. (Associated Press)
The council unanimously approved its plan on June 15, after Seattle police faced criticism for allegedly using the equipment against mostly peaceful protesters, just as the department was nearing the end of federal oversight, the Times reported.
In his ruling, Robart noted that Durkan and Best did not oppose other attempts to limit police use of crowd control weapons.
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On Tuesday, Seattle police released body camera images showing protesters throwing objects at them last Sunday, resulting in injuries to at least 12 officers.
Robart, 72, a Seattle native, was appointed to the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington in 2004 by former President George W. Bush.
